Monday, 15 February 2016

Coats

Coats are a special kind of artifact, mostly done by whisperers. They're marks, applied along the body's vertical side axis, down the flanks and over the soles, and some emphasise certain body parts. Coats are meant to be permanent, and one needs to be very skilled to make a coat that works, and can be taken off. They are to be tattooed, burnt, or cut in, but with lots of work, they can be made with less crippling methods.
A coat basically turns the wearer into an artifact; she is subject to Signs and makes a bit more noise in the Fifth Power, but the benefits justify these small comfort problems.

"It's a lot of work closing the coats on the children every morning, but I can't let them outside without Firecoats and not die of worry. I hear the Xom burn them in after birth."— Vahir Daquinor, Sawan whisperer

Coats each do one thing, albeit very thoroughly. The most popular are Dry Coats, that prevent the wearer from losing water by breathing or sweating; Flying Coats, that make one able to "swim" in the air; and Firecoats, which enable wearers to go even through boiling lava.
A coat must be a continuous line around the wearer, and because of their violent making and unique inks, are unmistakable and can rarely be hidden.

"Using a Shadowcoat makes this crime especially treacherous, and therefore the purpetraitor shall be put to death by fall, to be executed in one week's time, unless proven guiltless."— Pe-kalhaniar judgement

Artists' notes"Mantel" translates to both cloak and coat. I decided to call it coat to not invoke the idea this might be a cape or any other sort of clothing, but coat, as in an animal's pelt. Sometimes I worry that I might lose perspective on the intended nature of Genius Loci and make it too grim, too dark and frightening. But, people do weird things to fit in, to get a bonus, to appeal to someone, and while some customs in my world are strange, I think none of them border on human sacrifice, crusades, or unvalued life as seen in other settings.

About Me

Ranarh is the artistic alias of sci-fi/fantasy painter, illustrator, and concept artist Jennifer S. Lange. She enjoys spaghetti, lightsabers, and jellyfish. Jennifer lives in northern Germany with her fiancè and a blackbird.